Machine for opening envelops.



H. D. TAYLOR.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS. APPLICATION FILED APR.20. 1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

H. D. TAYLOR.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 20, I914.

Patented'Apr. 2?, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

51 vwewtoz wi/tmeooeo H. D. TAYLOR.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, 1914.

Patented Apr. 27, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

gvwewto'r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. TAYLOR, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK. ASSIGNOR TO LIGHTNING LETTER OPENER COMPANY, 01E ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION.

MACHINE FOR OPENING ENVELOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 27, 1915.

Application filed April 20, 1914. Serial No. 833,266.

To all Whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY D. TAYLOR, of Rochester, in the county of -Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Opening Envelops, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to machines for opening envelops, and more particularly to that type employing a cutting mechanism and a feeding mechanism for moving the envelops past the cutting mechanism in order that an edge of each of such envelops will be removed, an object of this invention being to provide a simple and inexpensive construction which will move the envelops along a guide to the cutting mechanism and will also cause the envelops to be alined against the guide in the event'that they are not so presented to such guide in the first instance.

To this and other ends the invention consists in certain parts and combinations of parts all of which will be hereinafter described. the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of a machine embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the same machine; Fig. 3 is a side view; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line a-a, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the machine in a plane with the rear faces of the knives or cutters: Fig. 6 is a detail sectional vlew in a plane through the axes of the two inclined pulleys; and Fig. 7 is an enlarged detall v ew showing the grooved guide in proximity to the cutting mechanism.

In the embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, there is employed a base member preferably in the form of a pan 1 having a portion 2 projecting upwardly from one side thereof to act as a support for a table 3 which is adapted to support the envelops. This table is provided with an upwardly-extending flange 4 at its rear edge serving as a guide, said guide being formed with a longitudinally extending V shaped groove 5 which is formed with a recess 5 in proximity to the opening 5 through which the cutting mechanism operates.

The cutting mechanism is, in this instance, in the form of an upper cutter 6 and a lower cutter 7, both cutters having peripheral cutting edges formed by beveling two disks, the cutting edges being such that they exercise little or no feeding action on the envelop. The peripheries of these cutters are revolved at the same speed, although the cutters have different diameters and rotate at different angular speeds. In this instance, a frame 8 is bolted at 9 to the bottom of the pan 1 so as to project upwardly from the latter at the rear side of the table 3. On this frame, the shafts 10 and 11, carrying respectively the cutters 6 and 7, are mounted, the cutters operating through the opening 5". The shaft 10 has a worm wheel 12 rigidly secured to one end thereof and is provided at its other end with a reduced portion 13 over which fitsa collar 14 and a nut 15, the cutter 6 being held between the nut 15 and the collar 14. The shaft 11 is provided with a worm wheel 16 at one end and is reduced at its other end at 17. On this reduced portion 17, a collar 18 and a nut 19 are fitted, the cutter 7 being held between the collar 18 and the nut 19. The shafts are driven by a common worm 20 which meshes with the worm wheels 12 and 16, said worm being secured directly to the shaft 21 of the motor 22 which, by means of bolts 23, is secured to the frame 8. v

For feeding the envelops, there may be employed a feeding mechanism comprising a feeding member. preferably in the formof an endless belt 24- whose plane of operation is at an acute angle to the plane of travel of the envelops or to the table 3, the latter being provided with an opening 25 so that a portion of the belt travels in a straight line above the table while another portion of the belt travels in a straight line below the table. IVhile the invention has been shown as employing a feeding member in the form of a belt whose plane of operation is at an acute angle to the plane of travel of the envelops, it is apparent that a feeding member of any other type performing substantially the same result is within the scope of the present invention. In this instance, the belt is substantially L-shaped in cross section and is made of rubber. It is supported on two inclined pulleys 26 and 27 which are grooved to receive the inner rib on the belt while the other portion of the belt projects to one side of the plane of the pulleys and has a curved face 28 which cooperates with the envelops to move them toward the guide and beyond 'plate 43 which is bolted at 44 to the casing '45 which incloses the operating parts of the upper end of studs 20 which are supported,

' between the pulley 27 and the shaft 11 may slightly inclined to the vertical, awlthin 'a frame 31 that isbolted at 32 to an upstanding lug 33 on the pan 1. Driving connection be es't-ablished by providing a crown gear 34 on the pulley 27 to cooperate with the crown gear 35 on the nut 19.

For holding the envelops with pressure against'the feeding member 24, a yieldingly supported pressure device is emfloyed pref erably in the form ofa shoe 36 having its under face flat throughout the greater area I thereof and extending from the guide flange over the efiective straight portion of the feeding member and also over the receiving portion which moves toward the guide so that the envelops will be pushed or forced toward the guide, the forward or intake end of the shoe being deflected upwardly at.37 to permit the envelops topass readily beneath it. In this instance, this shoe is supported by a noncircular stem 38 which proects upwardly fromthe upper face of the shoe and is guided within a sleeve 39, the upper end of the stem being reduced at 40 and surrounded by a spring 41- which normally presses the shoe 36 toward the feeding niember, a nut 42 being arranged on the upper end of the stem 40. and serving to limit the downward movement of the shoe by cooperating with the upper end of the sleeve 39.

The sleeve 39 may be supported by a capmachine, the cap-plate 43 serving as a cover for the upper cutter. A chute 46 is pro-- vided in the side wall ofthe machine for receiving the chips from the cutting mechanism and discharging them to the exterior of the machine.

starting of the motor, the cutters 6 and 7 are ,jrotated and the feeding belt or-member, 24

turns. The envelops are presented to the forward end of the feeding belt and are engaged first by a receiving portion which pro- ]ects above the table and travels toward the guide flange 4, thus shifting the forward end of the envelops toward such guide flange and beneath the intake or receiving end of the pressure foot or shoe to that portion of the 'elt which travels parallel to the guide flange to and beyond the meeting polnt of the cutters. -While the envelop is held between the feeding belt and the presser foot, the forward or receiving portion of the belt is acting on the envelop and crowding the latter against the guide flange. This crowding of the envelo causes the latter to assume the shape 0 the groove 1n the guide flange and to bulge upon the contents. Im-

'Inediately before the envelop rea ches the cutters, the bulged portion spreads into the opening or recess 5 ofthe guide away from the contents so that the edge of the envelop is presented to the cutters free of the conthe envelop isheld by t e straight portion of the beltso that such envelop cannot tilt ortip into the notch. The presser foot does not extend to the rear curve of the feeding belt so that the belt discharges the envelops .in a straight line by the straight portion. A machine for opening envelops. constructed in accordance with this invention embodies but few parts and is not liable to get outof orders The feeding member is such that is feeds the envelop against the 7 guide which directs the envelops to the cutting mechanism and also carries the envelops in a straight line after such deflection.- The feeding mechanism as a whole crowds or forces the envelops against a grooved guide so that the envelops are caused to assumerthe shape of the guide, after which the bulged portions spread into a notch away from the contents of the envelops, and the envelops as a whole are prevented from tipping or tilting during such spreading.

-What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letter Patent is:

1. In a machine for'opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism, and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a feed member having an endless face for coiiperating with the envelops, said face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the path of travel of the envelops,

the receiving portion of said feed member being movable toward the guide in order to carry the envelops to the guide.

2. In a machine for opening envelops, the

j combination with a cutting mechanism and In the operation of the machine upon the a guide .for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a feeding belt moving in a plane at an acute angle to the plane of travel of the envelops in order that said belt may feed the'envelops toward the guide and then carry them along the guide.

3. In a-machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of a table for supporting the envelops, and a feed member operable through the table and having an endless face for cooperating with the envelop, said face envelops, of an endless belt operating'lsc through the table and having its engaging face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the table, the belt being directed toward the guide at the receiving portion and then being directed substantially parallel with the guide for carrying the envelops along the guide.

- 5. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with the cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt having a work engaging face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the plane of the envelops passing through the machine, the receiving portion of said belt being directed toward the guide and another portion of said belt being directed substantially parallel with the guide.

6. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with the cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt having a work engaging face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the plane of the envelops passing through the machine, the receiving portion of said belt being directed toward the guide and another portion of said belt being directed substantially parallel with the guide, and a device cooperating with the last mentioned portion of the belt to hold the envelope against the belt.

7. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt having a work engaging face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the envelops passing through the machine, the receiving portion of the belt being directed toward the guide and another portion of the belt being directed substantially parallel with the guide, and a yieldingly-mounted pressure foot cooperating with the parallel portion.

8. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, of an endless belt having a work engaging face moving in a plane at an acute angle to the envelops passing through the machine, the receiving portion of the belt being directed toward the guide and another portion of the belt being directed substantially parallel with the guideand a yieldingly mounted pressure foot cooperating with the parallel portion and also with a portion of the receiving portion, the receiving end of said foot being deflected away from the belt.

9. In a machine for opening envelops, the

combination with the cutting mechanism, a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism and a table for supporting the envelops, said table being provided with an opening, two pulleys arranged in said opening and having their plane of movement at an acute angle to the plane of the table and an endless belt passing about said pulleys so that the receiving portion of the belt is directed toward the guide and another portion of the belt travels parallel with the guide slightly above the table.

10. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with the cutting mechanism, a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism and a table for supporting the envelops, said table being provided with an opening, two pulleys arranged in said opening and having their plane of movement at an acute angle to the plane of the table and an endless belt passing about said pulleys so that the receiving portion of the belt is directed toward the guide and another portion of the belt travels parallel with the guide slightly above the table, and a spring-pressed pressure foot supported above the table for cooperation with the straight portion of the belt and with a-p0rtion of the receiving portion of the belt.

11. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing the envelops toward the cutting mechanism, an opening being provided in advance of the cutting point of the cutting mechanism, of feeding mechanism for feeding the envelops to the cutting mechanism, said feeding mechanism having provision for forcing the envelops with pressure against the guide to cause the envelops to bulge on their contents so as to' spread into the opening in advance of the cutting mechanism free from their contents, said feeding mechanism also acting at a point beyond the cutting point in order to prevent the tilting of the envelops into the opening in advance of the cutting point.

12. In a machine for opening envelops, the combination with a cutting mechanism and a guide for directing envelops to the cutting mechanism, an opening being provided in advance of the cutting point of the cutting mechanism, of a feeding mechanism embodying devices for cooperating with opposite sides of the envelops to force the latter against the guide in order to cause the envelope to bulge on their contents so that the bulge portion may spread into the opening in advance of the cutting mechanism free from the contents, one of said feed members being in the form of an endless belt which extends from a point in advance of the cutting point to a point beyond the cutting point and other of said feed members cooperating with said belt from a point in advance of the cutting an integral table supporting portion projecting upwardly from one side thereof, a fianged'table supported on said table supporting portion, a. cutting mechanism sup- 5 ported on the base portion in rear of the table to cooperate withenvelops movable on the table, and a. casing cover for said cutting mechanism cooperatin with a base portion and 'With the table the cutting mechanism. I

HENRY D. TAYLOR. Witn 'sses:

HAROLD H. SIMMS, ADA M. WHITMORE.

ange tov inclose 

